Summary: How is Clark while Lois is gone? Does he miss her? Just a silly little story to pass the time until "Infamous".

AN: Spoilers for "Requiem"since this is set during/after.

Smallville and the characters in it aren't mine. I'm just playing, no cash involved at all.

A Cup of Coffee

By ColleenJoy

It started out of self preservation. When he walked into the Planet carrying a nice fresh cup of Talon coffee Lois invariably found a way to steal it, so he started bringing two, just so he would have one to drink. The fact that the one he handed her as he walked in the door had cream and extra sugar with a dash of cinnamon the way she liked it just made sense. Might as well fix it up for her, it wasn't like he didn't have time.

Now, she was gone, for who knew how long, and he was still showing up with two cups in his hands. He would hurry in, cast a hopeful eye towards her desk, carefully set the coffee where she always perched hers while she was working and drop into his chair with a disappointed sigh. She was still in Star City.

Lana had thought he was nuts to keep buying the coffee. She even went so far as to try to drink it when Lois wasn't at her desk. Clark had gently removed it from her hand and put it back in its spot. "Clark, it's just going to go to waste, I might as well drink it." She argued.

"We don't know when she's coming back, Lana. She could walk in here any minute and if you drink her coffee then she'll steal mine." Clark grinned, "You don't want to be directly responsible for me falling asleep at work."

Lana studied him for a moment, a little frown forming between her perfect brows before she reached down to kiss him goodbye. He kissed her back with a distracted air and logged on to his computer to catch up on the day's news. Lately he had been on edge at work, distracted, and it made him feel better to see the coffee steaming on Lois' desk, as though she had just stepped out and would be back any minute. Her empty desk bothered him but he justified it as worry about Jimmy. Lois wasn't coming back until Jimmy was better; the fact that she was still gone was bad news for his friend. He couldn't be missing Lois while he was together with Lana. That would be crazy.

Then the world went crazy and he lost Lana for good, gave her up for the greater good. Both of them making a decision that meant they would never be together again. Not that he and Lana had been together long. What had it been, a couple of days and one night? Even after that short time his heart felt like it had been put through a grinder, again. It was all he could do to come to work and try to function normally and a part of him resented that he was back in this condition after fighting his way clear not so long ago. This was the definition of insanity, he thought ruefully, to repeat the same action and expect a different result. He felt like he and Lana were under a curse.

Weeks passed and Clark dealt with the pain and loneliness by putting all his energy into work and his "extra curricular activities," cranking out articles that exposed criminals by day and helping to see that they got locked up at night.

During all that time he kept buying two coffees.

Finally the day came when he walked in the door to the bullpen to be greeted by, "There you are Smallville, about time you showed up." Clark glanced at his watch and began to defend himself, he was early! But Lois ran right over his sentence as she strode into his personal space, slapped a sheaf of papers against his chest and said, "Fix it, turn it in and let's move on. I need help with an article I'm writing about paramedics in Star City selling drugs on the side."

"Lois!" exclaimed Clark, "You're ba…Where did you get this story?" he stared down at the text filled pages slashed with red, "This is mine! I already put it in Tess' "in" box!"

"Its okay, Smallville, you can thank me later. Just fix it up and turn it back in, she'll never know." Lois smirked and grabbed her coffee out of his hand on her way to sit back at her desk.

"Lois," began Clark, looking peeved and a little hurt.

Lois glanced up, "Look, it's not a bad article. I'm impressed you did so well without my help. It just needs a little boost and it can be a great article. Try it my way, you'll see." She took a drink of her coffee and closed her eyes, letting out a sensual moan as the sweet, hot liquid ran down her throat.

Clark blinked and looked away, focusing on his story and the changes she had recommended. He had to admit, she was right. The story flowed much better with her changes in place. Looking back up he caught her eye and grinned, "I'm glad you're back Lois." he said.

It was Lois turn to look away quickly but she couldn't help the smile that quirked up the corner of her mouth. "Of course you are Smallville, you were probably lost without me. It must have been terrible."

"Peaceful, Lois, it was peaceful," he sighed and stared into space as though fondly remembering silence.

"Just another word for boring, Clark." she replied, typing vigorously. "Now get that one done, I need you to help me check out a lead. There's a rumor Met. Gen. has the same problems with drug dealing paramedics. Come on, I need to hear typing Farm boy, Chop, chop!"

Clark grinned again and then sighed, the tension flowing out of his shoulders as he peeked across the desk at her intensely focused face. The feeling of unease had lifted. Lois was back, things could only get better.

The End